Carlos Ramos at the centre of another controversy after a Alexander Zverev meltdown

Carlos Ramos is at the centre of another grand slam controversy after a monumental Alexander Zverev meltdown, but the German star was not in the mood to say sorry afterwards.

Germany's Alexander Zverev smashes his racquet

Carlos Ramos is at the centre of another grand slam controversy after a monumental Alexander Zverev meltdown.

Zverev escaped a warning from Ramos after hurling his racquet away after the fifth game of the first set.

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Ramos watched Zverev walk to the chair and waited to see if the German changed racquets, sign of a possible broken frame.

What took Ramos so long to give A2Z warning ⚠️ never gave him one ☝️ for 1st racket smash this is absolutely shocking this scoreline

— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) January 21, 2019

Here’s Zverev smashing his racquet during a match with umpire Carlos Ramos. He did NOT receive a warning or code violation from Carlos Ramos. #AusOpen 🤔 pic.twitter.com/6NAmg9FFO0

— Serena Williams News (@serenanews) January 21, 2019

But because the world No 4 continued to play with the same racquet, Ramos issued no warning.

His lack of action prompted John McEnroe to joke that nobody should encourage Ramos to get involved in the match.

The comment is a reference to the Portuguese official’s clash with Serena Williams in the US Open final.

Williams called Ramos a “cheat” after he penalised her for coaching breaches.

The furore overshadowed Williams’ loss to Naomi Osaka in the Flushing Meadow final.

Germany's Alexander Zverev smashes his racquet

Germany's Alexander Zverev holds up the racquet he just smashed

Zverev was warned by Ramos in the second set during a stunning collapse against Milos Raonic after he obliterated a racquet, thumping it nine times onto the Rod Laver Arena court.

The incident came as Zverev was 4-1 down in the second set of his fourth-round match with Canadian Milos Raonic, having lost the first set 6-1.

“Yeah, it made me feel better. I was very angry, so I let my anger out,” he said of the incident afterwards, seemingly unapologetic.

“I played bad. The first two sets especially I played horrible. Yeah, I mean, it’s just tough to name on one thing. I didn’t serve well, didn’t play well from the baseline. Against a quality player like him, it’s tough to come back from that.”

Raonic said he heard something happen, knew what was going on but looked away.

“I heard it,” he said. “I don’t think I looked over. I think it was pretty clear what was going on.

“You know, it can have an effect a lot of different ways. You know, if you’re a top guy and you do that against somebody who doesn’t have experience, it might sort of cause them to retreat a little bit. I have sort of faced that situation, and I was also ahead at that point, so I was just really focusing on myself.

Germany's Alexander Zverev holds up the racquet

“So I wasn’t really thinking too much about him on his end. So it didn’t really have too much of an effect.

“Obviously you never know why the other guy is doing it. Sometimes a guy can do it to try to help himself. Sometimes it can be just purely frustration.”

The was confusion among fans as TV coverage did not make clear mention of the violation warning.

“Look it’s not sporting or whatever, let’s be honest. Maybe that may be the release that he needed,” Channel 9 commentator Jim Courier said.

“He might come out here and get some anger into the rest of the ground strokes and the game, get himself into this match, at least start the third set with a different energy than what he has played these last two.”

Zverev went on to lose the match in straight sets.

“There were a lot of curse words (going through my head),” Raonic said when asked how he felt dropping his first service game.

“It’s hard to regret things after the first game. I played incredible today, I did a lot of things extremely well.

“I’m glad I was able to turn around from that start.

“It was tough, there was that one match point earlier, I just kept focussing on my serve.”

Raonic knows these sort of temper tantrums can be intimidating.

But when Alexander Zverev went into meldtown mode and obliterated his racquet with nine forceful blows midway through the second set of their battle yesterday, Raonic remained cool.

For some players, these kinds of furious outbursts are not just a way to let off their own steam, it’s a deliberate attempt to try and throw-off their opponent.

But the big-serving Canadian ignored Zverev’s frustrations, knowing bigger things were around the corner as the 28-year-old booked a quarter final berth.

“I heard it. I don’t think I looked over but it was pretty clear what was going on,” Raonic said.

Milos Raonic on his way to the quarter-finals. Picture: Michael Klein

“If you’re a top guy and you do that against somebody who doesn’t have experience, it might sort of cause them to retreat a little bit.

“I have sort of faced that situation.

“…if another guy is in a very comfortable situation and things are flowing smoothly, it’s sort of a stimulation on the side that can provoke maybe some thought, some doubt.

“You just try to focus on your own thing.”

Raonic has developed a better all-round game, with some sharp work at the net and backhand slice breaking down Zverev.

The 196cm Raonic said he was a more accomplished player, and was working harder at practice, since making the final four, three years ago.

“I’m getting better at the net because since 2016 I have made an effort every single time I have been healthy and I could move well and be efficient to come forward,” he said.

“Probably in the first five years of my career I probably only hit a couple thousand volleys.

“I’m sure over the last three years I’ve probably hit tens of thousands of volleys. I think in that scenario things are bound to get better.

“I’m taking care of my serve pretty efficiently throughout the whole tournament.

“Just always trying to make the other guy off balance and give them different looks, to try to give myself an opportunity to come forward or just put various amounts of pressure on them.”

With Jay Clark